Stamp-canceling machine.



Paffntd June 20, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l- C. F. SNOVER.

STAMP CANCELING MACHINE.

' APPLICATION -FILED 1uLY9, 1914.

l 9 @@9 @9. Patented J une 20, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Mmmm.

- y i y CHARLES F. SNOVER, OIF BAYVCITY,'1V[ICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR 0FONE-HALF TO CHAUNCJEY GREGORY, OF BAY CITY, MICHIGAN.

STAMP-CANCELING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Jun@ 2U, 191115.

Application filed July 9, 1914. Serial No. 850,032.

To all whom z't may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES F. SNovER, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica,

- residing at Bay City, in the county of Bay and Sta-te of Michigan,have invented a new, useful, and Improved Stamp-Canceling Machine, ofwhich the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings,is a specification fully disclosing the same, such that others mayunderstand the construction and operation thereof.

This invention relates to stamp canceling machines, and itis the purposeand object of the invention to provide a machine of this character whichwill cancel large quantities of stamps at one operation, either insheets containing one hundred stamps or in rolls containing any desirednumber of said stamps.

At the present time stamps are supplied by the Post Office Department toiirms which mail out a great deal of second class matter, the stampsbeing canceled before applying to the mail so that there is no delayafter the mail has been received at the post olice, as would benecessary ifthe stamps were not previously canceled. This machine isdesigned for use by the post oliice clerks in canceling such largequantities of stamps at one operation, as will be required by suchfirms.

My invention serving these ends is illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, in

chine; Fig. 4 is a side view of a detail used l in the construction ofthe machine; Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but from the oppositeend of the machine; Fig.'6 is a view similar to Fig. 3 of the mechanismfor can celing stamps in rolls and rewinding the canceled stamps intorolls; and Figs. 7 and 8 illustrate diagrammatically the appearance ofrows ofstamps after being canceled by the machine.

Like reference characters refer to like,

` parts throughout theA vseveral views of the drawing. l c

lln` the embodiment of the invention, as

shown, two upright frame members 1 are secured in spaced relation to thebase 2 and mounted for rotation in said frames, isa cylinder 3, on whichcylinder is fastened a rubber sta-mp or electrotypehaving the naine ofthe town and State thereon, whereby upon cancelation of stamps the townand State may be printed upon the stamps. Also secured between the framemembers in front of the cylinder 3 is a table 4 for receiving thecanceled stamps after they have been operatedupon by the machine. At-oneend of the machine a shaft, on which the cylinder is mounted, projectsbeyondthe frame member and, rigidly secured thereto, is a large g ar 6which meshes with a pinion 7 mountf d on the stud shaft 8, which in turnhas rotative mounting in the frame memberl. A. friction wheel 9 ofcomparatively large diameter is also mounted on said shaft 8 and issecured to the gear 7 whereby rotation being `imparted to wheel 9, thegear 7 will be rotated and will correspondingly rotate the cylinder 3.

A friction roller l0 is secured to a shaft which is mounted in the endsof a pair of spaced apartI arms l1 pivotally mounted on the frame 1.Adjacent one ofothe arms 11 an operating handle 12 is pivotally mounted,said handle; being provided with a downward extension 13 upon theopposite side of its mounting, to which is vattached the coil spring 14secured to the base 2. Between the arm 11l and handle 12, a second coilspring 15 is located, the-influence of such spring tending to draw thearm 11 toward the handle 12and elevate the roller 10 into engagementwith the wheel 9, such movement, however, being 'limited by a stopformed on the handle 12. The handle 12 extends upwardly and slightly tothe rear and carries at its inner side a roller 16 which normally bearsagainst the outer edges of a disk 18 also secured to and rotatable withthe shaft on which the cylinder and gear wheel 6 are secured. Thesaiddisk 18 is provided at one portion of its periphery with a notch 17adapted to receive the roller 16. It will be apparent that the roller 16is.

normally held against the disk 18 by the action of the spring 14, andthat when said roller comes into position opposite the notch 17 it willenter and Seat therein. llt will also be evident that upon manualoperation' of the handle to the rear, unseating the roller from saidnotch, the arms 11` and shaft carlried therebywill beelevated, bringingthe roller into frictional engagement with the vwheel 9, and that uponrotation being imparted to said shaft the cylinderV 3 will becorrespondingly rotated until the disk` has made one completerevolution, bringing' manual operation of the handleis again resortedto. It is, of course, apparent that the handle may be held so that itsroller 16 will not seat in the notch 17 and a continuous 3 rotation ofthis cylinder had, if desired.

35 sion of which is regulated by the screws 26;

Mounted in the frame members l'above the cylinder 3 is a pressure roller19, which is grooved at a plurality of places 20 alongl the lengththereof to receive the paper stops 21a. The roller is held with yieldingpressure against the cylinder by means of 'the' springs' 21, as shown inFigs. 1 and 5. The

paper stops 21a are secured at-theirends to a cross shaft 22 and may beraised and lowered within limits on turning said shaft, asA

will be evident. f

Back of the cylinder 3 and a distance i Y above the front table 4 is atable:23, upon which the sheets` of stamps may beplaced for feeding intothe machine. `Below said table, a pair ,of rollers 24 are mounted inengage against the cylinder'3 being pressed thereagainst by the coilsprings 25, the ten- Said rollers 24 are inking rollers of Well knowntype, and may be used to supply inkV to the stamp orl electrotype on theouter surface of the cylinder 3. The shaft carrying the roller 10 4may'be rotated by the pulley 27 attached thereto, said pulley being drivenl in .any suitable manner by any suitable englne or Isource of powersuch as an electric motor fr instance.

In the operation of the machine so far as described, sheets of stampsmay be placed upon the table 23 and fed into the machine, the machinebeing started by grasping the handle 12 and, drawing it to the rear,after /which the handle may be released, the ro er 10 being held inengagement against the wheel "9 during the rotation oflthecylinder'until such time as the roller 16 comes into opposition with thenotch -1-7 on the disk 18. The

vstamps passing between the pressure roller 19 and printing cylinder 3will have printed f thereon the town and State, and it is designed inmakingthe electrotype or stamp for this cylinder that each stamp shallreceive at least one imprint of the town and State, as indicated inFig.l 7, and it may be designed that each stamp shall receive suchimprint in' two places, as shown in Fig. 8,

it being evident that with the print, as shown in Fig. 8, evenif'the'stamps shouldv be fed chine, the shaft on whichthe cylinder 3 ismounted is projected beyond the frame member and has secured thereon aroller 28, the

outer surface of which may be provided with a stamp or'electrotypesimilar to that on the cylinder. Above said roller is positioned apressureroller 29, which isheld by spring pressure .thereagainst Therinting roller 28 may be engaged by the inling rollers 30 bearingagainst the printing roller by yieldi A spindle 31 is lng pressure, asshown. mounted for rotation at a distance from the printing'roller 28and in vsubstantially the same horizontal plane, while on. the oppositeside a second spindle 32 is rotatively mounted, and is driven by thepulley 33 secured to 'the shaft to which roller 28 is attached andhaving driving connection with the pulley 34 secured to and rotatablewith the spindle 32. The roller 28 and spindles 31 and 32 are of a widthsubstantially equal to the Width of one row of stamps.

In operation, the stamps wound into rolls are placed on the side spindle31 passing between rolls 28 and29 and -fastened to spindle the framemembers l andpsuchrollers may 32. Upon starting the machine through themanually operating handle 12, roller 28 and .spindle 32 will bepositively drive'n, the

Vrow -of stamps with light pressure, such member being of utility inpreventing un` necessary unwindingof the roll. With this structure asingle row of stamps of indenite length may be canceled and wound into aroll for convenient handling. lStamps are furnished either in flatsheets having a width equal tol the. width of several stamps or in rollshaving `a width of one stamp, and this machine Jis adapted for thecancelation of Stamps in either form.

Various changes in minor detail may be l 1; In a stamp cancelingmachine, a base, spaced' apart upright frame members secured to thebase, a canceling cylinderA mounted for rotation on a shaft carried byand between the frame members, a disk having a notch in its edge securedto the shaft,

l.resorted to without departing from the ina lever pivotally mounted onthe outer side of one frame member, a roller on the lever bearingagainst the edge of the disk, a friction wheel mounted on said framemember. gearing connections between the friction wheel. and the shaft,an arm pivotally mounted on the same pivot with the lever,

a spring between the arm and lever, a stop' limiting the movement of thearm toward the lever, a drive shaft having one end cai ried at the endof the arm, a friction roller on the shaft adapted to engage with thefriction wheel, a downward extension to the lever below its pivot, and aspring interposed between said extension and the base normally forcingthe roller on the lever against the disk.

2. In a stamp canceling machine, a base, spaced apart 'upright framemembers, secured to the base, a canceling cylinder mounted for rotationon a shaft carried by and between the frame members, a disk having anotch in its edge secured to the shaft, a lever pivotally mounted on theouter side of one frame member, a roller on the lever bearing againstthe edge of the disk, a friction wheel mounted on said frame-member,gearing connections between the friction `the movement of the arm towardthe lever.

a driveshaft having one end carried at the end of the arm, a frictionroller on the shaft adapted to engage with the friction wheel, adownward extension to the lever below its pivot, a spring interposedbetween said eX- tension and the base normally forcing the roller on thelever against the disk, a rearward extension to each frame member, atable positioned above and between and connected to said extensions,spring operated inking rollers movably mounted on and between saidextensions back of the cylinder, an upper extension to the frame member,a spring operated pressure roller slidably mounted betweensaidegtensions and a table located in front of the cylinder,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

CHARLES F. SNOVER.

lVitnesses: v EDWARD R. MONROE, FRANK C. FARMAN.

